The present invention relates to automatic performance apparatus and computer programs for automatically performing music pieces with desired tone colors on the basis of predetermined automatic performance data. For example, the present invention relates to an automatic performance apparatus and computer program which, when a change is to be made between tone colors of different characteristics in accordance with a tone color change instruction given from another automatic performance apparatus, can avoid musical failure or nonconformity that may be caused in tones automatically performed with a new or changed-to tone color.
So far, there have been known various automatic performance apparatus which execute automatic performances by generating tones of appropriate tone colors on the basis of automatic performance data of desired music pieces. According to a typical conventional tone-color setting/changing scheme used in relation to automatic performance data of the MIDI format, program change data are incorporated into the performance data, in correspondence with tone-color setting or changing positions in a performance sequence, and tone colors are set or changed in accordance with the program change data.
Another type of automatic performance apparatus has also been known, which can previously store performance environments, often called “registration”, that comprises, for example, settings about tone colors and tone volumes for a manual performance by a user and settings about an accompaniment to be automatically performed in accordance with the manual performance and which can communicate, via an external storage medium, communication interface or the like, the thus-set performance environments or registration to an external other electronic musical instrument (automatic performance apparatus) etc. The settings about the automatic performance include one that instructs a change of a tone color to be used in the accompaniment performance. Namely, the conventionally-known automatic performance apparatus can not only execute an automatic performance of an accompaniment or the like in accordance with automatic performance data while merely changing part of a performance environment, such as a tone color, but also execute an automatic performance utilizing performance environments acquired from an external other electronic musical instrument or the like.